FT-86 II concept from Toyota introduces a new generation of sports car. This front engine, rear-wheel drive concept gives the clearest indication yet of the FT-86 final design.

FT-86 II perfectly recaptures the exhilarating spirit of the Toyota Corolla Levin AE 86 – the must-have rallying and circuit driving choice in the 1980s. It is driver-oriented, designed to give form to the intrinsic joy of driving.FT-86 II concept from Toyota introduces a new generation of sports car. This front engine, rear-wheel drive concept gives the clearest indication yet of the FT-86 final design.

FT-86 II perfectly recaptures the exhilarating spirit of the Toyota Corolla Levin AE 86 – the must-have rallying and circuit driving choice in the 1980s. It is driver-oriented, designed to give form to the intrinsic joy of driving.

Under a design concept that Toyota’s European Design Development centre, ED2, has dubbed ‘Functional Beauty’, its bold, sweeping form has been generated through the constraints of function. The long, low bonnet, high wings and rear-set cabin pay homage to Toyota’s illustrious sports car history, while the aerodynamic, muscular bodywork has been made as compact as possible. With a 2,570 mm wheelbase, the concept is 4,235 mm long, 1,795 mm wide and just 1,270 mm high.

Toyota FT86II Concept official photos

Toyota FT86 II Concept official photos. rear quarter shot.

FT-86 II combines a free-revving boxer petrol engine and 6-speed manual transmission with light weight and a low centre of gravity for the optimum power-to-weight ratio. Both powertrain and driving position have been set as low and as far back as possible, awarding the FT-86 II lively, accessible performance, readily-exploitable dynamic abilities and maximum driving pleasure.

The FT-86 II concept is the result of an August 2009 announcement that Toyota and Fuji Heavy Industries will launch a jointly developed compact rear-wheel drive sports car. European sales of Toyota’s new sports car will begin in 2012.

‘When the Toyota 2000 GT was built, I was eleven years old – and I loved it. I said: “I want to drive something like this when I grow up”. My dream came true when I drove a 2000 GT in a vintage car rally. That was a really great experience.

I want young people to feel those same desires when they see a new Toyota sports car. I want to transfer the thrill of the race track to our vehicles, and make driving fun and exciting for our customers.’

Akio Toyoda – President, Toyota Motor Corporation

Since Toyota began the development of its 2-cylinder boxer engined Sports 800 in 1962, the company has maintained a long history of creating exciting, driver-focused sports cars that have proved as popular with the public as they have been successful in competition.

The beautiful 2000 GT, first displayed at the 1965 Tokyo Motor Show, helped establish the company’s global reputation as a sports car manufacturer. This 2.0 litre straight-six-powered coupe finished third in the 1966 Japanese GP and went on to establish three world endurance records, including the fastest average speed continuously over 16,000 kilometres – 207km/h.

A convertible 2000 GT appeared in the 1967 James Bond film You Only Live Twice. Sadly – created as a movie one-off merely because the film’s star, Sean Connery, could not fit comfortably in the standard coupe – it was never made commercially available.

In the US, former Le Mans winner Carroll Shelby entered the 2000 GT in the 1968 Sports Car Club of America’s C-Production category. Despite little development, the lead car notched up four wins against the hitherto dominant Porsche 911.

In response to the focus of the annual Japanese Grand Prix on sports racing cars with larger engines, Toyota launched its first purpose-built racer in 1968, the Toyota 7, which featured a mid-mounted, 3.0 litre V8 subsequently upgraded to 5.0 litres. The 1970 Toyota 7 Turbo was the world’s first turbo-engined racing car.

Before its launch in 1984, Toyota appointed legendary US racing driver Dan Gurney for the testing and development of the MR2. Toyota has always understood the value of motorsport and a racing driver’s analytically skills for improving its road-going models. And the MR2 gained a well-deserved reputation as one of the best handling sports cars of all time.

Seven generations of the Celica were sold throughout the world for 36 years between 1970 and 2006. The first Celicas incorporated rear-wheel drive powertrains, and were praised by sports car enthusiasts for their agility. The Celica GT, introduced in Europe in 1974, featured a five-speed transmission and wider tyres.

Appealing strongly to the European market, the redesigned Celica of 1985 featured front-wheel drive and the powerful, 2.0 litre 3S-GE engine.

The Celica also achieved considerable success in competition. The Celica Twin-Cam Turbo achieved three consecutive Safari Rally wins between 1984 and 1986. Taking its first World Rally Championship win in Australia in 1989, the all-wheel drive Celica GT-Four went on to record back-to-back WRC driver’s and manufacturer’s titles in 1993 and 1994. The GT-Four was the first Japanese car to win both driver’s and manufacturer’s WRC titles.

Toyota’s Supra was launched in 1979. The first two generations of the car were based on the Celica, the Supra only becoming a model in its own right with the third generation car of 1986. Its roots may be traced back to the 2000 GT, all four generations boasting straight-six engines and rear-wheel drive.

Engine cubic capacity rose with each generation from 2.5 litres to 2.7 and then 3.0 litres, culminating in the 1993 model year. VI Supra’s 320 hp engine with sequential turbocharging, which gave the car a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of just 5.2 seconds, and a governed maximum speed of 250km/h.

With its reputation for delivering pure excitement and embodying the fundamental joy of driving, the Corolla Levin AE86 is the inspiration behind Toyota’s latest sports car concept, the Future Toyota-86 II.

The Corolla Levin AE86’s front engine, rear-wheel drive powertrain, compact dimensions, light weight, impeccable balance and superior power-to-weight ratio made it the must-have choice for rallying and circuit driving throughout its 1983-1987 production life. Even today, the AE86 is still a popular choice with private rallying teams.

Sharing its predecessor’s front engine, rear-wheel drive credentials, the FT-86 II concept introduces a new generation of sports car which perfectly recaptures the exhilarating spirit of the last Corolla Levin AE 86.

Passion is Back: FT-86 II concept Gives Form to the Intrinsic Joy of Driving

With the proportions of its long, low bonnet, high wings and rear-set cabin paying homage to Toyota’s illustrious sports car history, the dynamic power of the FT-86 II concept gives the clearest indication yet as to the final design of Toyota’s next sports car.

The FT-86 II is an entirely driver-oriented concept, designed to give form to the intrinsic joy of driving through precise, instantaneous responses to even the smallest throttle or steering input, for those who regard driving as a passion rather than a necessity.

Under a design concept that Toyota’s European Design Development centre, ED2, has dubbed ‘Functional Beauty’, its bold, sweeping form has been generated entirely through the constraints of function, and aerodynamics developed from F1 technology.

Its low, highly aerodynamic bodyshell stretched tight over the engineering hard points, the FT-86 II concept’s muscular body work has been made as compact as possible. Featuring a long, 2,570mm wheelbase, the concept is 4,235mm long, 1,795mm wide and just 1,270mm high.

Rather than relying on a heavy, large displacement powertrain for its performance, the FT-86 II returns to Toyota’s sporting roots by combining a free-revving boxer petrol engine and a 6-speed manual transmission with compact dimensions, light weight and a low centre of gravity for the best possible power-to-weight ratio.

Both powertrain and driving position have been set as low and as far back as possible to optimise balance for maximum poise, high speed stability and dynamic agility. Allied to a front engine, rear-wheel drive format, this awards the FT-86 II lively, accessible performance, highly engaging, readily-exploitable dynamic abilities and maximum driving pleasure.

The FT-86 II concept is the result of an August 2009 announcement that Toyota and Fuji Heavy Industries will launch a jointly developed compact rear-wheel drive sports car.

On 20 May 2011, CAR was allowed behind the wheel of a Toyota FT-86 development mule to get our own driving impressions and to give feedback to Toyota’s engineers during a secretive test session in Germany. Now, as the car is about to be unveiled at the 2011 Tokyo motor show, it’s time to reveal all.Where does the Toyota FT-86 name come from?

‘FT’ means Future Toyota, and is a label given to Toyota concept cars. The ‘86’ plays on the Toyota Corolla GT Coupe, the 1.6-litre DOHC, rear-wheel drive coupe that enthusiasts refer to by its AE86 chassis-code. The implication, then, is that the FT-86 is a 21st century AE86.

The FT-86 tag will be dropped for production. At the time of our drive, there was still a great deal of debate as to what the car would be called. The engineers were very keen on the AE86 link, while the marketeers thought that very few people would know what that symbolised – they preferred Celica. It is, however, likely that an 86 suffix will appear in some markets.What's the specification of the new Toyota FT-86?

The key info here is that Toyota is developing the FT-86 in tandem with Subaru, who will also sell the car, in much the same way that Citroen, Toyota and Peugeot sell the C3/Aygo/107. So, this explains why the FT-86 uses a Subaru 2.0-litre flat-four engine that produces around 200bhp and 170lb ft. Unlike pretty much everyone else these days, Toyota has shunned turbocharging, but the engine does benefit from Toyota’s D4S direct injection, which helps towards a C02 figure of around 160g/km – a similarly powerful Renaultsport Clio manages 190g/km.

The engine is mounted up front, but low and relatively far back in the engine bay. It’s mated to a close-ratio Aisin gearbox (as used by Toyota elsewhere), while a Torsen rear differential sits between the driven rear wheels. The overall weight distribution is 53/47% front to rear, while the production car will weight around 1200kg.

The platform is newly developed, and I managed to put eight of my size 11 footsteps between the front and rear wheelhubs, giving a wheelbase of around 2400mm – similar dimensions to a Mini hatchback.

You sit low down – lower than a Porsche Cayman, claim the engineers – and squish into a comfortable seat with leather bolsters and grippy suede centres. The driving position is excellent. The FT-86 is strictly a 2+2: there was no room whatsoever for my legs in the back with a six-feet-tall driver in the front.

The rest of the interior was still heavily camouflaged but we did see aluminum finishes on the rotary climate control dials, plus a row of aluminium-topped switches. Toyota’s ‘keyless go’ is standard, but we couldn't see the zip-up dashboard cover like on the concept car, forum watchers take note!What's the 2012 Toyota FT-86 like to drive?

It’s great fun. There’s fantastic throttle response, quick, well weighted steering and a nice firm brake pedal. Add little inputs to the steering when you’re driving in a straight line at speed and the front end darts immediately – no slop, no roll, it’s just 100% obedient and alert.

Clearly, it’s not a GT-R chaser, but that’s the whole point – the focus here is on dynamics you can explore at lower speeds. The flat-four zings happily and spins round the dial to 7500rpm, at which point you get a flashing light and a well-judged soft rev limiter – not a sudden cut-out. Doesn’t sound much like a flat-four though – perhaps this is intentional, as the flat-four sound is such a Subaru trademark.

The gear ratios are closely stacked, and help to keep this modestly powered 2.0-litre spinning, but the ratios are well chosen so as not to be tiresome: 60mph in sixth gear brings up 2500rpm – relatively high, yes, but not daft. The gearshift could be slicker, but the lever has an engagingly short throw.

Even without sliding it around, the FT-86 is very obviously rear-wheel drive: get to the limit in a second-gear corner and accelerate harder and you feel the back end point the front back exactly where you want it. It responds well to a really aggressive driving style. Shame that the stability controls’ Sport setting was too intrusive, although Toyota’s engineers said they had a less intrusive set-up that they were also experimenting with.It must be a blast to slide around…

Drifting is a huge part of the appeal of the FT-86, just as it continues to be for the AE86. Our car was fitted with 215/45 R17 Michelin Green X tyres all round – aka Toyota Prius tyres. This made it laughably sideways in second gear, the back end stepping out with relatively mild – and sometimes almost no – provocation. For the average driver, this makes exploring the limits far easier than in anything else currently on sale.

However, at higher speeds I found the balance less pleasing. In fast third-gear turns, for instance, the front end feels too soft and errs towards understeer – it could be pointier, firmer and more positive. Under provocation, the rear then comes around, but the FT-86 is so short that this transition can be very quick. Two factors then come into play: the first is the Torsen diff, which is more refined in day-to-day driving, but less precise than a mechanical differential when the rear tyres are struggling for purchase, so the level of control you have over the sliding rear end is compromised; the second point is the lack of power: adding power during slides helps you to bring things back under control, but in a high-speed FT-86 you’re more in the hands of momentum than you are able to dictate things with the throttle.So the FT-86's a hooligan oversteer specialist?

At one point I found myself snapping into very fast oversteer, then suddenly snapping back and making an out-of-control excursion across the run-off area. My mistake, yes, but I’ve never had this feeling in any other modern rear-wheel drive car, 911 GT3 included.Is there going to be an FT-86 with more power and a mechanical differential?

Turbocharging the flat-four would be straightforward (after all, that’s what Subaru does with the Impreza), but chief engineer Tetsuya Tada told us that he ‘doesn’t like turbos’ and has ‘decided to reject the numeric power war’. He also said that an R version of the FT-86 was coming with less weight, Brembo brakes (our test car’s stoppers were from Hitachi), a rollcage, a larger rear wing, no rear seats and, yes, a mechanical LSD but no more power.

And bear in mind that Toyota had invited us for our input and that this was a fairly early car – things will be tweaked for production. Our cars were still disguised, although pictures of the FT-86 production car have leaked out in recent days.

Other options are also on the cards: a convertible is ‘possible’, while an auto gearbox is confirmed – it’s a six-speed unit based on the eight-speeder in the high-performance Lexus ISF.Verdict

The Toyota FT-86 is great news for enthusiasts: it’s affordable, frugal and relatively practical. You also don’t have to be a driving deity to explore its limits. If anything, we’d adjust the high-speed, on-limit balance (firmer front end, more progressive transition into oversteer, tighter differential), but that doesn’t undo the underlying fact that this is a great car, and one that trounces its closest rival, the Mazda MX-5, in the fun stakes.

The great thing about the FT-86 is, as promised, that it really handles

What is it?

We’ve been waiting a long time for the Toyota FT-86. Literally, because we’ve seen a lot of the concept. But figuratively, too: Toyota is promising the FT-86 will deliver a return to sports car purity that is driven by feel and intuition, not lap times and lateral grip levels. We’ve wanted a car like that for a long while.

“Sports cars have gotten boring,” Toyota says. “They’re only interested in going fast.” The FT-86 is meant to amend that, to bring speeds down but take the enjoyment up, not unlike the Caterham 7 Supersport which we’ve fallen for recently.

The FT-86 is on a new platform that has been co-developed with Subaru (whose Subaru BRZ will be distinctly similar). We still don’t have all the technical details because it’s some way from launch – sales start in June 2012, following the production car’s unveiling at the end of November 2011.

What I can tell you is that it’s “as small as possible for a four-seater sports car,” which means it weighs 1280kg. It has a 2.0-litre flat-four petrol engine in the front, naturally aspirated, which is supplied by Subaru but gets Toyota’s D4-S direct injection system. It makes 197bhp.

See pics of the Toyota FT-86 in action

The key things to add are these: it drives the rear wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox and a Torsen limited-slip differential. And the tyres are the same modest 215/45 R17 items you’ll find on a Toyota Prius.

Oh, and the ESP can be completely switched off.What’s it like?

As much fun as you’d hope. I drove a disguised car on a deserted airfield last May (wasn’t supposed to be able to tell you about it until the end of November, but recent revelations have brought that forward a bit ), and it still makes me smile to think about it now.

First impressions: it feels light and compact, a bit like an MX-5. The driving position is low, straight and snug, with grippy front seats (and not a lot of room in the back).

The Toyota FT-86 feels quick enough, too, with a precise if a touch notchy gearchange, and an engine note that’s a bit growly – there’s not much flat-four burble. Tweaking the NVH is high on Toyota’s ‘to-do’ list. It has a broad power curve - it revs to 7500 but there’s no desperate need to wind it that far past the mid-range.

It’s hard to accurately guage the ride on a concrete airfield, but the FT-86 feels quite deftly set-up, light on its feet, with a touch of tyre roar that’s to be expected.

It steers easily too. At 2.5 turns lock-to-lock the steering’s quick without being hyperactive, and is light-to-middling in weight. It all adds to the impression that this is going to be an easy car to get along with.

Find a corner and you’ll find some roll, but its rate is well contained. The FT-86’s weight distribution is 53/47 per cent front/rear, so it’ll nudge into steady-state understeer if you’re on a constant throttle, where it grips moderately well and is pleasingly poised.

The great thing about the FT-86 though is, as promised, it really handles. It lets you choose how you want to corner. Add any amount of power and it’ll turn at least neutral. Trail the brakes into a bend, give a mid-corner throttle-lift or, well, just give the steering a bit of a bung and lots of throttle and it’ll either straighten its line or give you armfuls of oversteer, utterly as you prefer.

There’s still a bit of tweaking to do on the damping, but it’s 90 per cent of the way there. As it is, in third gear the FT-86 will run out of power to keep a long slide going (if you like that sort of thing), so inevitably it takes momentum rather than power to play games with the chassis. But if you add more power to compensate then you’ll want a turbo and bigger stoppers too, and that adds weight, and, well – that’s where the downward spiral starts, right?

“The key development for the FT-86 is that it’s a front-engined, rear-drive car with intuitive handling,” says Toyota.

“A fun car is a car you can control. We rejected the idea of a car developed using numbers. It must have front-engine/rear-drive, a naturally-aspirated engine and a low centre of gravity.”Should I buy one?

I suspect those who do won’t regret it. The Toyota FT-86 will need a change in attitude: this car’s not about delivering ultimate acceleration or lap times, it’s just about having fun.

The FT-86’s modest limits and power mean that it should prove enjoyable on the road: you’ll be able to get more out of it, more often, than you could a much faster and more theoretically capable sports car, whose reward is more often than not limited by visibility and sensibility.

It’d be terrific fun on a track day, too. It’s light enough to not wear out its consumables quickly and, while an FT-86 wouldn’t be the fastest way around a circuit, there aren’t too many cars out there – certainly not at its predicted £20k-odd price tag – that could put a bigger smile on their driver’s face.Matt PriorToyota FT-86